1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of producing a food product and in particular an apparatus for enhancing the flavor and color of the food product.
2. Background Art
Traditionally, boneless meat products, such as hams, have been cooked in large smoke houses to provide additional flavor to the ham. The meats are usually placed in porous bags which allow the smoke flavor in the smoke house to penetrate through the bag and into the meat product itself. During the cooking operation, the high temperature in the smoke house causes the fiber in the meat to shrink inducing the juices in the meat to purge to the surface of the meat. The juice in the meat generally consists of water, animal protein, and salt. The water contained in the juice on the surface of the meat evaporates away during the cooking process, which leaves behind a residue of protein and salt. The protein and salt residue is exposed to the high temperatures of the smoke house which cause the residue to coagulate, thus forming a skin on the surface of the meat.
The resulting skin on the surface of the meat is usually harder than the rest of the cooked meat product. Such a hardened skin is generally undesirable in taste and appearance to most consumers, especially when the meat product is used as a sandwich meat.
One current method of coloring a food product is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,721,623 to Coffey et al. This reference discloses cooking a meat product in an environment sufficiently humid to reduce the evaporation of water contained in a coloring spray which is used within the environment. However, this process is to be used in conjunction with a meat product having a skin on its surface. Therefore, the process allows some evaporation within the environment and does not disclose an environment having 100% humidity which prevents any evaporation of water. Further, as noted, the coloring process includes spraying the meat product directly with an atomized caramel coloring which merely results in coating the food product which can only be sold as a "color added" food product.
The use of steam as a heat transfer medium is well known in the prior art. Such steam cooking devices may employ the steam at atmospheric pressure as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,011,805 with convection heat transfer. Steam as the heat transfer medium at substantially atmospheric pressure with forced convection heat transfer is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,215. In this last patented arrangement, water is introduced into the bottom of a steam chamber and a heat source outside that chamber heats the water to produce steam. The chamber is vented so as to maintain the pressure within the cooking vessel at substantially atmospheric pressure. Such steam cooking devices may also employ the steam at an elevated pressure as in the common "pressure cooker." U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,778 discloses a steam cooker with a valve and pump arrangement so that the pressure within the cooking vessel can be maintained either above or below atmospheric pressure. However, these references do not disclose steam cooking food products at 100% humidity, which, if prepared in such manner, would ensure that a skin will not develop on the outer surface of the food product during the cooking process. Moreover, there is no discussion of adding color or flavor to the cook product.
International Publication No. WO84-02824 discloses an induction smoke generator and method of producing natural smoke for use in cooking devices. Therein, the apparatus and method for smoke treating food products includes an inductively heated hollow member which is raised to a sufficiently high temperature so as to vaporize an injected water/smoke mixture. This vaporization occurs when the liquid smoke mixture contacts the walls of the heatable hollow member. This method of treating a food product in order to enhance the flavor of the food product is well known.
Processes which are generally known for smoke treating or coloring various items including food products include the burning of wood chips or saw dust which emitt natural smoke, atomizing liquid smoke concentrate and mixing with water for spraying into a smoke room which is kept at an elevated temperature and spraying liquid smoke onto a heated plate which vaporizes it into a gaseous state.
The natural, wood burn technique while potentially the best processes is generally inconsistent in its results. Additionally, this process is relatively expensive compared to others. Food products flavored and colored using natural wood burning techniques are relatively expensive in that utilizing such a technique is time consuming and requires frequent cleaning to remove ash and cinder from the associated combustion chambers.
A liquid smoke/water mix method reduces the inconsistency problem but is inadequate for treating certain food products due to the likelihood of spotting of the product by water droplets formed in the treating chamber.
Spraying liquid smoke onto a heated plate is a process which is frequently utilized, however, this process eventually results in a caking of the plate and decreasing efficiency of the process as well as down time required for cleaning the plate. Further, the power requirements are extremely high making it a less desirable approach in view of increasing energy costs.
Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration requires that food products which are treated be labelled as including either artificial flavor or naturally smoked flavor. In the latter two examples set forth hereinabove, these products must be labeled as including artificial color and flavor. Clearly, it is a perceived marketing advantage to be able to label your product as being "naturally smoked".
One process which while not being a natural or wood burning technique is disclosed in International Patent Publication No. 84/02824 and results in a process wherein the food product may be labeled as being naturally smoked, however, this process requires a heat source in addition to the heat source used in cooking the food product as well as an atomizer which requires a control system so as to properly expel the liquid smoke/water mixture into the hollow member.
Clearly, there is a need for a method and apparatus for cooking a meat product without resulting in an increase in processing cost while allowing the food product to be labeled as "naturally smoked".